Number Chains – January 6th Links

This new, regular feature on NHLNumbers will share interesting stats-related posts from around the web almost every day.

Welcome to your first post lockout links. In this space you will be able to find the best analytical hockey writing from around the internet on a close-to-daily basis. Subject matter will include statistical evaluation, financial analysis, contractual issues, and (sometimes) closely-related tangential works. If you have something you would like to submit for a future edition (your writing or that of someone else) feel free to send it to me via Twitter @JoshL1220 or leave a comment.

I’ve been tired of writing about the lockout for quite a while now. So, let’s sit down and discuss the lockout some more. This time at least we can finally say goodbye to the lockout once and for all. Details are beginning to come out about the new agreement. TSN (giving credit to Aaron Ward, Darren Dreger, and Pierre LeBrun) has the details as we currently know them:

– The players’ share of hockey-related revenue will drop from 57 percent to a 50-50 split for all 10 years.

– The league coming off their demand for a $60 million cap in Year 2, meeting the NHLPA’s request to have it at $64.3 million – which was the upper limit from last year’s cap. The salary floor in Year 2 will be $44 million.

– The upper limit on the salary cap in the first year is $60 million, but teams can spend up to $70.2 million (all pro-rated). The cap floor will be $44 million.

– The 10-year deal also has an opt-out clause that kicks in after eight years.

– Each team will be allowed two amnesty buyouts that can be used to terminate contracts after this season and next season. The buyouts will count against the players’ overall share in revenues, but not the team’s salary cap.

– The salary variance on contracts from year to year cannot vary more than 35 per cent and the final year cannot vary more than 50 per cent of the highest year.

– A player contract term limit for free agents will be seven years and eight years for a team signing its own player.

– The draft lottery selection process will change with all 14 teams fully eligible for the first overall pick. The weighting system for each team may remain, but four-spot move restriction will be eliminated.

– Supplemental discipline for players in on-ice incidents will go through NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan first, followed by an appeal process that would go through Bettman. For suspensions of six or more games, a neutral third party will decide if necessary.

– Revenue sharing among teams will spread to $200 million. Additionally, an NHLPA-initiated growth fund of $60 million is included.

– Teams can only walk away from a player in salary arbitration if the award is at least $3.5 million.

– The NHL had hoped to change opening of free agency to July 10, but the players stood firm and it remains July 1 in the new agreement. But with a later ending to the season, free agency for this summer will start at a later date.

The article goes on to chronicle the bargaining process since it began if you’re a masochist and into that kind of thing. More reactions are after the jump.

Marc-Andre Fleury is having an unbelievable postseason. His current Sv% of .947 doesn’t just lead all goalies in these playoffs, it’s actually the highest Sv% of any goalie in a playoff year since the 1960s (min 8 games) …with one important caveat: he has one round yet to play. I think the biggest question heading into the…